Mass Production of Carbon Nanotubes Now Possible

A significant breaktrough in the Carbon Nanotubes Technology has been achieved. The material can now be produced on a large-scale. Superstrong plastics, uncrushable boat hulls and superlight aircraft could become a reality. Previously the production of carbon nanotubes has been only a few grams a day. The reactor in Norway has been designed and built for production on the kilogram scale. Carbon nanotubes will become cheaper.

SINTEF: SINTEF/NTNU able to mass-produce super-material

Scientists at SINTEF Materials and Chemistry are among the first groups in the world have developed a process for large-scale production of carbon nanotubes.

Production of the strongest material in the world takes place in a high-temperature reactor designed in Trondheim, which was officially opened by SINTEF President Unni Steinsmo on June 22.

Carbon nanotubes are a completely new material with special properties, that is in high demand.The material has turned out to have unsuspected electrical and chemical properties in addition to its high strength and extremely low weight. This means that superstrong plastics, uncrushable boat hulls and superlight aircraft could become a reality.

At the moment, there is little or no international commercial production of carbon nanotubes. However, the n-Tech company at the Institute of Energy Technology produces a few grams a day by the arc discharge method. The Trondheim reactor has been designed and built for production on the kilogram scale. It is also based on arc discharge, but employs more advanced plasma technology.

The scientists believe that there will be a large market for nanotubes in the future, but only if costs can be brought down. This is what makes the mass production breakthrough a milestone.

This is great news. Imagine the possibilities when this superstrong material now can be mass produced. Way to go Sintef...

Related Resources And Links:
Carbon Nanotubes
David Tomanek's Nanotube Site
WikiPedia: Carbon nanotube
NASA: Nanotechnology Gallery

Related ATS Threads:
ATS: Carbon Nano Tubes
ATS: Nano-Technology in Metals
ATS: Get familiar with nano tech.

Firstly, congratulations on such a great find Hellmutt.


You'll have to forgive me though, a kilogram is how much?
I don't use the metric system, being American and all I use the imperial one.


So does this mean we will be able to make enough to make a space elevator?

This is great news!! The space elevator may now become a reality at last. Super light aircraft could be amazing too. Nice.

nano technolgy... could this technolgy be used in medics; to say, go into the blood stream and repare tissues or fight dieses? now that would be intresting.

Yes, in fact one of the driving forces of nano-technology is for medical uses, there are many ways in which nano-technology can be used for medical needs.

I only see one real use for carbon nan-tubes in the body, to strengthen the bones.

Originally posted by iori_komei
I only see one real use for carbon nan-tubes in the body, to strengthen the bones.

i thought that stainless steel was used to replace/repare bones at the moment... why would nano technolgoy be used for this purpose?

Originally posted by blue_sky_9

Originally posted by iori_komei
I only see one real use for carbon nan-tubes in the body, to strengthen the bones.

i thought that stainless steel was used to replace/repare bones at the moment... why would nano technolgoy be used for this purpose?

Stronger, longer lasting, can be engineered in a many number of ways so as to even improve upon nature, eg think wolverine

I just attended a seminar this week on work taking place at the University of Michigan on the construction of meso-porous media and nanotubular-constructed media. This is amazing work. I will see if any of the presentation slides are available on what was presented to us, and if I would be allowed to share them with you guys. If so, I'll pick some of the more interesting ones.

Originally posted by Zanzibar
This is great news!! The space elevator may now become a reality at last. Super light aircraft could be amazing too.

Nice.

Don't count on it.

Wow;Carbon Nanotubes. I didn't think we were gonna get cheap(er) production this fast. This is freakin great. Space elevators are now closer to production than ever! Still a while off but its a darn sight closer than it was in the 50's. Great post

Originally posted by iori_komei
Yes, in fact one of the driving forces of nano-technology is for medical uses, there are many ways in which nano-technology can be used for medical needs.

I only see one real use for carbon nan-tubes in the body, to strengthen the bones.

Weight for weight, bone is 5 times stronger than steel. People with titanium hips have to get them replaced periodically or they break. It truly is amazing what the human body can withstand.

Originally posted by Darkpr0

Originally posted by iori_komei
Yes, in fact one of the driving forces of nano-technology is for medical uses, there are many ways in which nano-technology can be used for medical needs.

I only see one real use for carbon nan-tubes in the body, to strengthen the bones.

Weight for weight, bone is 5 times stronger than steel. People with titanium hips have to get them replaced periodically or they break. It truly is amazing what the human body can withstand.

Stainless steel doesn't rust, correct? If so, a car with stainless steel from 50 years ago, the steel wouldn't break. Whats different? The steel wont take on any nutrients or have blood flow. Bones don't even have blood flow.

i think blood Does flow through the bones
any medical experts here wanna correct me if im wrong?

and having steel or titanium put in your body is horrible; according to my dead grandfather
his entire hip-bones and leg bones were Eaten Away by cancer
Completly!
they had to replace the entire section of him with Metal
after he died they let us keep his metal pieces ther was Alot of it!

every time it got cold *winter* he said the metal would get really cold too and it hurt alot
and when it got warm the metal warmed up too and was annoying

plus it would suck being bionic man i feel bad for my grandfather
he had way too much chemo and radiology therapy
i think that 'cancer treatment' hurt him equally as bad as the 'cancer' did

so im personally all for carbon nanotubes *or something like it* to be the New human bone-replacement or support
i doubt carbonnanotubes would cause as much physical discomfort as the steel or titanium ones

And the Stainless Steel Does Break!!!
After my granddad died and we got those pieces back
Some were Broken in half completely, and this was from Inside him!

Trust me he wasnt running or doing Anything! he couldnt move for years! he was totally incapacitated, in a wheelchair barely able to move his arms....
but somehow that steel still broke in half....

I dont mean like replacing the bone with nano-tubes, what I mean is like reinforcing them, like making a second skin as it were around the bones.

Originally posted by iori_komei
Firstly, congratulations on such a great find Hellmutt.

You'll have to forgive me though, a kilogram is how much?
I don't use the metric system, being American and all I use the imperial one.

So does this mean we will be able to make enough to make a space elevator?

main article
Trondheim reactor has been designed and built for production on the kilogram scale.

not sure if there expecting 1kg a day or several kg's per day.

LiftPort is a space elevator company, and there site states that "The ribbon is light (7.5 kg/km)"

oh, and 1 kg equals 2.2 lbs.

Originally posted by iori_komei
I dont mean like replacing the bone with nano-tubes, what I mean is like reinforcing them, like making a second skin as it were around the bones.

i suppose this would strenghen them even more, as tubes are stronger than solid clienders. *spelling...*

Originally posted by Murcielago

Originally posted by iori_komei
Firstly, congratulations on such a great find Hellmutt.

You'll have to forgive me though, a kilogram is how much?
I don't use the metric system, being American and all I use the imperial one.

So does this mean we will be able to make enough to make a space elevator?

main article
Trondheim reactor has been designed and built for production on the kilogram scale.

not sure if there expecting 1kg a day or several kg's per day.

LiftPort is a space elevator company, and there site states that "The ribbon is light (7.5 kg/km)"

oh, and 1 kg equals 2.2 lbs.

Far, far too light per kilometer. Let me do some math and I'll get back to this.

However, the mass production of carbon nanotubes will definatly be a benifit to many other aspects of technology. We'll a space elevator is a practical use for it, we can design lighter spacecraft instead, it may have some use as a building material, and in the field of biotechnology.

Here are some electron mircoscope views of the structure of carbon nanotubes for the intrested:

*does a little dance*

YES!

I've a paper I wrote that I've been meaning to post regarding the space elevator. One of the main issues facing the elevator was the ability to mass produce these things, at tensile strength appropriate enough. LiftPort should definitely get a good head start if they can apply this technology.

You just made my day even happier.

Originally posted by muzzleflash
i think blood Does flow through the bones
any medical experts here wanna correct me if im wrong?

No, inside the bone, white blood cells are made. I'm 98% sure of that from biology class

If you broke a bone and it had blood running through it, wouldn't it be a lot worse?

According to this article they will produce thousands of tons of carbon nanotubes by 2006.

"The Norwegian Institute for Energy Technology and n-Tec AS recently announced the start of their pilot project for mass production of carbon nano structures. The company will produce thousands of tons of carbon nanotubes for research and industrial purposes by 2006 starting out with batches of 50-200 kg per day."